Belmont Stakes 2012 Post Positions: Latest Buzz Around Top Contenders

There is plenty of buzz surrounding the Belmont Stakes, but nothing is as newsworthy as Triple Crown hopeful I'll Have Another being scratched the day before the race.

Trainer Doug O'Neill officially told the Dan Patrick Show this morning that his horse will not be competing in tomorrow's race:

"

Doug O'Neill: "I'll Have Another is officially out of the Belmont."

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) June 8, 2012"

I'll Have Another won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and he was the hands down favorite for the Triple Crown. With the longer track and his ability to close late, many believed this horse had the chance to be the first since Affirmed in 1978 to win all three races.

When it was decided that Bodemeister, the second place finisher in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, would not compete in the final leg, the path to the Triple Crown seemed that much easier.

Unfortunately, I'll Have Another will become the eighth horse since 1997 to not win Belmont after coming in with its sights on the Triple Crown.

In his press conference, O'Neill explained that it was tendinitis in the horse's tendon, and that he could have participated if needed. However, this was not in the best interest of the animal.

This is a major blow to the entire sport of horse racing. Ratings for Belmont have unsurprisingly varied greatly when the Triple Crown is on the line. According to USA Today, 10.1 percent of households watch the race with a Triple Crown candidate, compared to only 4 percent of households when there is not.

Still, the show must go on and there are a number of quality contenders who could win in this field.

Paynter comes in with 8-1 odds that are certain to improve, but the real key is legendary trainer Bob Baffert. Owner Ahmed Zayat told the Detroit Free Press that Baffert thinks Paynter is a better horse than Bodemeister.

This should give a vote of confidence as Bodemeister came into the Kentucky Derby and Preakness as one of the favorites and finished second in each.

Another horse to watch for is Street Life, which drew the valuable No. 1 post on Wednesday. Since 1905, 23 Belmont winners have come from the inside post, 10 more than any other spot. This horse has the speed to get out to a quick lead and hold on for the duration.

Here is the full draw of post positions courtesy of the official Belmont Stakes site:

Post Position	Horse Name	Trainer	Jockey	Morning Line Odds
1	Street Life	Chad Brown	Jose Lezcano	12/1
2	Unstoppable U	Kenneth McPeek	Junior Alvarado	30/1
3	Union Rags	Michael Matz	John Velazquez	6/1
4	Atigun	Kenneth McPeek	Julien Leparoux	30/1
5	Dullahan	Dale Romans	Javier Castellano	5/1
6	Ravelo's Boy	Manual Azpurua	Alex Solis	50/1
7	Five Sixteen	Dominick Schettino	Rosie Napravnik	50/1
8	Guyana Star Dweej	Doodnauth Shivmangal	Kent Desormeaux	50/1
9	Paynter	Bob Baffert	Mike Smith	8/1
10	Optimizer	D. Wanye Lukas	Corey Nakatani	20/1
11	I'll Have Another *scratched	Doug O'Neill	Mario Gutierrez
12	My Adonis	Kelly Breen	Ramon Dominguez	20/1